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31 December 2009

Well, yesterday was 40 weeks, Froggie's due date! We are officially overdue now. We had another appointment yesterday and nothing is happening with labor! It's standard procedure to conduct a Non-Stress Test on the baby when they are overdue. I sat with a fetal heart monitor and contraction monitor and movement recorder for 45 minutes while they monitor to make sure the baby is still doing well. The baby was rather sleepy and did not do as well on the test as they would like to see. So we did a BioPhysical Profile using an ultrasound. They check the baby's heartbeat, breathing motions, and muscle development and the amount of fluid to make sure the baby is still tolerating being in the womb and still getting the necessary nourishment. Froggie looked good on that, so they are letting us go another week!

The induction is scheduled for 7 am on January 5th. If the baby has not made an appearance by then, whether I am in labor or not, they will using drugs to speed up the process. I am not thrilled about being induced- it makes labor much harder on me and the baby, and increases my chances of having to get a c-section, but the doctor doesn't want to let the baby go too far overdue.

So as J and I discussed this morning- only 5 more nights of uninterrupted sleep! We will let you know of course if baby comes sooner, but if not- expect news on the 5th as to how labor is going and how baby and I are doing!

23 December 2009

So I feel like this baby is like a household goods shipment when we are moving- they always give you a date that they promise your belongings will arrive no later than, but you never know when you will get that 8 am call saying they are on the base and headed to your house.

I am 39 weeks today, but there is not much going on as far as baby goes, so the doctor has scheduled an induction date of 7 am January 5th. If the baby has not arrived one it's own by then- the doctor will use a variety of methods to encourage the baby to come out. In 7 days I will be considered 40 weeks- my due date, December 30th. They do not like the baby to go more than a week or two past that date for health reasons. We are excited to meet this little one, but also know that labor will be easier on both me and the baby if we let it come in it's own time. Hopefully Froggie will decide that's before the New Year and make Daddy really happy!

Here's my 39 weeks picture...

So keep checking back, but know that at the very latest, we will have a baby by January 6th!

20 December 2009

I am 38 weeks 4 days today! My appointment last week went well, no big news. I have started effacing, but no dilating or contractions, so we will see what the doctor says on Wednesday when I hit 39 weeks!

Me at 38 weeks:

I realized I haven't shared pictures of the house decorated- so here they are!

View from the back door

living room

kitchen

kitchen again

center area on one side

center area on the other side!

Entry way

laundry room (entry off of garage by dining room)- and yes we use all of those coats DAILY!!

I love having my washer and dryer back!

the stairway- the baby gate is actually to keep the dog off the carpet upstairs!

downstairs bathroom- Texas!

The storage closet under the stairs is my scrapbooking, sewing, and crafting room!

I love it, it's a perfect space!

storage down at the end

Master bedroom at the top of the stairs

More master

Upstairs bathroom

Jace's office- still a work in progress!

The art I made for the baby's room!

Looking into the baby's room- not completely finished, working on a border and a few other things!

changing station...

crib

glider

Outside lights!

Front porch lights!

Christmas tree lit up!

Anyway- Happy Holidays, we hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and we will miss getting to see you! We'll keep you updated!

12 December 2009

As of now I am 37 weeks, 3 days, I will be 38 weeks on Wednesday. The OB appointment went well this week, no effacing or dilating. I have been having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions (false labor), but nothing painful or real!

J and I went to childbirth class on Friday and Saturday, I pretty much had already read everything (big shocker!), but it was nice to get to talk to one of the nursery nurses and the hospital procedures and such. J learned some new things and we got to practice labor positions and support and I got a massage :D. Good news- until this past week, the hospital had only been allowing one person to even be on the maternity floor with the mother due to H1N1 and flu season. But as of this past week, two people are allowed in the delivery room and immediate family can wait in the waiting room down the hall! J and I were thrilled about that, because as wonderful as I am sure he will be, I think it will be really nice to have my mom in there too! Plus any family in town won't have to wait until we are discharged to meet the baby! They can come to the room and nursery right after birth!

As far as Christmas plans go, J and I have very few because we don't know if we with be with or without a baby! Some family will be in town for Christmas, and others are coming afterwards. However we do know that we will be sticking around Minot for the holiday season! J hopes to get his ground training and qualifying flights done in the next two weeks and will be working/flying through the holidays! The squad here is very small and work quite a bit, so it's a win/lose situation to have him flying again! It means longer work days, but also means more flight hours, which he wants!

If you've been watching the weather at all, you know that the two of us Texans are freezing our tushies off up here! Literally! It hasn't been above 15 degrees for a good week, and not above 30 degrees for two weeks! We nightly (and sometimes daily) drop down into the negatives, and frequently have a 10 to 20 degree wind chill. In fact tonight we are under a severe weather warning because we will have temperatures around -25 and with wind chill it will be -45!! It's absolutely amazing how cold that is. Your breath gets taken away the second you open the door. Mailboxes, doors, and windows freeze shut. Snow stays very dry and blows in the wind all the time because it never gets near melting (the upside is very little ice!). The dog comes in from 10 minutes of going to the bathroom and has ice crystals on his whiskers. However, we've adapted remarkably well already! I opened the door yesterday morning to let the dog out, and thought- wow, it's really warm outside- then stood outside without a jacket for a minute or two. I came back in and checked the temperature- it was a whopping 13 degrees- VERY WARM! Really we are dealing with it very well. There's just this whole other list of things you have to think of in a cold climate, but we are learning! J has even ridden his bicycle to work the past couple of days. Since we only have one car- this allows me to have the car to go into town, and since he works a mere 10 minute bike ride down the road- he doesn't seem to mind! He does bundle up really well though and we bought some (very expensive) snow tires for his bike. Everyone at the squad thought he was crazy!

We are at the point that we are pretty much ready for this baby to come at any moment, which it could! We hung pictures and my amazing hubby has been ticking things off his to do list since he came home, he really is rather handy!

We are working on setting dates for our big Texas trip, but it will most likely be in the month March. We will email everyone with that information once we finalize the dates, and we will let you know what city we will be in when and such. We know all of our grandparents and siblings and cousins are anxious to meet the baby, and we are sorry it won't be sooner, but J is saving up his leave so we can spend plenty of time down there! We are choosing to drive so we can stay longer for cheaper, so coming down in January or February is not the best time weather wise! Plus traveling with a one-month old doesn't sound like fun- 3 months is much better!

Here's the 37 weeks picture:

We love you all very much! I will try to stay on top of updating more often here towards the end, and we will be sure to post when the baby comes! We will try to call as many people as possible, but tell extended family to check here for updates and pictures! I will have internet in the hospital and plan on using it! :D

08 December 2009

J spent 3 weeks TDY to Spokane, Washington for survival training, part of which was a repeat of some he had done at the Academy and some of it new. It's a rough 3 weeks, they simulate camping survival, evading being caught, POW and hostage situations, and escaping. He was glad to be home!

And of course, the day after he left for 3 weeks, all of our belongings were finally delivered to the house! Perfect timing :D Luckily, my mom was able to take some time off and come up here for a week to help me unpack and she was AMAZING! We unpacked and even decorated for Christmas during that week, and it's so nice to have all of our things back and to be settled somewhere! There are still some things to complete to get completely settled, mostly things the hubby needs to help with, but we are pretty much ready for baby!

Speaking of baby, last week we hit 36 weeks, 9 months, and Froggie is now considered full term and they will deliver when I go into labor! We are both still healthy and growing! We are still doing by the December 30th due date, but who knows when this little one will come into the world!

Here's the latest picture- it seems like we are rapidly growing lately!

Not a lot of news, just progressing normally. I move to weekly appointments starting this Thursday, so we might have more information after then!